Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Chiropractic World Domination – It’s everywhere

April 17, 2013

Chiropractic World Domination – It’s everywhere

Even places you wouldn’t think to look.

As I write this article I am flying back to the People’s Republic of New Jersey from California after recently speaking at Los Angeles College of Chiropractic. I must say that I was pleasantly surprised to find that there are a huge number of students, faculty, and administrators that are seeking and finding the principles of chiropractic at that school. I was given the royal treatment during my trip to LACC. A limo was sent to pick me up and upon arrival to the campus the students who had so persistently invited me greeted and began to introduce me to many other bright young principled chiropractic leaders on the campus. Some of these young leaders are currently working to establish an IFCO club on campus so that students can begin to get involved in shaping the political future of our noble profession.About a year ago in California I was introduced to a member of the board of Trustees at LACC while I was speaking at a philosophy event on Sothern California. I have forgotten the name of who I spoke with but this man was committed to getting more philosophy on campus and teaching chiropractic in a way that is more congruent with its principles. He recognized that much of the current education was geared towards an insurance-based payment system that was gradually disappearing. We talked and were in agreement on the fact that the only way chiropractic graduates will be able to thrive in the future will be to go back to creating value for the separate and distinct service of vertebral subluxation correction that chiropractic offers as its contribution to health care.Dr. Mark Losack is professor at LACC. He offers an elective chiropractic philosophy course, which is unlike most chiropractic philosophy courses at many of the broad scoped chiropractic colleges. Many times chiropractic colleges offer philosophy courses that are really nothing more than history lessons. Innate Intelligence, Vertebral Subluxation, and the chiropractic adjustments are only historical concepts in these classes. The view is that by moving away from its roots and its philosophy chiropractic will advance and become accepted by the mainstream cultural authority of medicine. This is NOT the case in Dr. Losack’s class. The week before I spoke he had Dr. Simon Senzon presenting, one our professions most prolific philosophical writers, address the students about various topics related to chiropractic philosophy.My topic of course was “How to take over the world with TIC”. I had the privilege of expounding on chiropractic philosophy and sharing some of the powerful ways that it can be communicated in order to have the greatest impact on the communities we serve around the world. Dr. Lossack’s classroom format allows the students attending the class to interrupt the speaker with questions at any time. This led us to many spirited discussion on topics like “why therapies are not chiropractic” and “how the inclusion of drugs would destroy the credibility and uniqueness of our profession as well as be an extreme danger to the public at large.”These debates allowed all involved including me to refine our arguments and learn how to better communicate our messages. The debate while at times heated was respectful and well moderated. I think we all left the room with a better understanding of the issues involved and a clearer understanding of just how much work is left to be done to educate our next generation of chiropractors properly to be able to guard the sacred trust and promote the benefits of vertebral subluxation correction to the masses.Upon leaving the classroom I was approached by a few LACC students that wanted to discuss an issue that they felt very strongly about. These students love the philosophy, science and art of chiropractic. They have done much to seek out the people that can teach it to them even if that is not always on their campus. Unfortunately many times they find that well meaning principled chiropractors bash their school in public forums. This is very hurtful to them. Many told me that they are studying at their particular school because it is the most convenient for them for one reason or another. One young man almost was brought to tears as he told me about how his wife was stationed at a nearby military base with his children. The only way he could go to another school besides LACC was if he left his wife and kids. He expressed to me how bad he felt when participating in chiropractic philosophy based events that bashed his school. I can tell you that this bright and principled man does not deserve to be made to feel like a second-class chiropractic student. He is not the problem. He is part of the solution.I came away from this conversation with a greater understanding of the plight of these students. I will say that during the course of my day on LACC I spoke to at least 100 students who were on fire about principled chiropractic. That is a lot of the student body at LACC!! Many of these students have been influenced positively by the efforts of chiropractors like Dr. Billy DeMoss who tirelessly organizes some of the greatest speakers in chiropractic to present at his Dead Chiropractic Society Clubhouse or at Cal Jam. These valuable resources are right in the backyard of LACC and they inspire students to seek more knowledge about TIC. Let’s face it, we all know that even at the traditionally straight schools of chiropractic there are folks that when they graduate will mix up a storm! Even members of the fringe element of our profession that currently want drugs to be included into the profession were educated at principled institutions.Some of the most influential chiropractors of our time graduated from schools where chiropractic philosophy was non-existent or sparse at best. People like Dr. James Sigafoose and Dr. Joe Borio come to mind as some of our most famous National graduates.I truly believe that we should all be supporting schools that publicly support the principles of chiropractic. That being said I think we should be more careful about bashing schools who don’t agree with the direction that we know the profession needs to go. Doing this causes hurt feelings of the many good students that attend schools and as a result they leave feeling alienated or somewhat inferior to other students attending a chiropractic philosophically based event. We will get nowhere doing this as far as building stronger bridges for change. We want to open these students up to our message. Bashing their school doesn’t accomplish this. Want to make a real difference in chiropractic’s future? Then reach out to these students who are hungry for TIC no matter what campus they find themselves in. If you can’t go on campus then go off campus nearby but I urge you to make a commitment to help be a part of the solution. It is time we light more candles rather than curse the darkness. I would like to thank LACC fledgling chiropracTORS Chris Boman, Nicole Leshaw, Aubrey Rivera, and Dan Ceballo for their hospitality while in Los Angeles. This group of students is working hard to help other students get the big idea in chiropractic on their campus. Many are IFCO student members now and the ones who aren’t yet I hope will be.~Liam Schubel, DC

2013 IFCO GLOBAL SUMMIT

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2 comments:

I'm glad some of the students brought to light the horrible fact that LACC is commonly bashed in public forums. I am a principled chiropractor, and I went to LACC. When I went, I didn't know the difference from one Chiropractor from another. I got my hands on the work of Dr. James Chestnut and it changed my life. For me it didn't matter what school I came from. I learned how to adjust and had wonderful clinical opportunities anywhere in the community that I chose to go. So I interned with a principled chiropractor. To my dismay, when i graduated and visited offices, many WOULDN'T EVEN MEET WITH ME because I went to LACC. I wish I could express through words how hard that was for me. It is hard enough with 200,000 in debt, let alone being pushed to the side as if I'm not worth what another student is. Thank you for visiting my Alma Matter and making a difference. The difference needs to be made.